Heavy rains fell quickly in the predawn hours of Friday in the Texas Hill Country, causing the Gaudalupe River to rise 26 feet in just 45 minutes.

The National Weather Service issued multiple alerts ahead of the deadly floods that devastated central Texas, but whether people actually responded to them is an important question.

Emergency responders continue to search for missing people and local police said efforts have been slowed by "sightseers who are making things worse."